Whispers in the Night
by Hour-of-Eaglet
Summary: Lust and morale war with each other, the strings of temptation tug at the hearts of men and women, but is it so hard to forget the heinous crimes of one's past and start anew? In her mind, she remembers his crimes against Hyrule, but the sorcerer has ways in seduction and manipulation. /Vaati x Zelda fanfiction
1. Prologue

A silent wind blew through the trees, the forest was empty, not a single creature stirred, and the silence was deafening. The girl ran through the forest, her dress tattered, looking like a mess, her breath short as she willed her legs to sprint through it. Still, not a sound was heard aside from her own ragged breathing, her own racing heart.

A laugh echoed in the forest, one that sent shivers down the spine and the girl screamed, covering her ears.

"Please go away, please go away...!" she panted as she continued to run. A branch suddenly caught her by the ankles, and with a shriek, the girl fell.

Immediately, she pulled herself into a fetal position, rocking back and forth pitifully, whimpering, too exhausted to will herself to keep going.

"No, no, no..." she sobbed into her knees.

The wind turned more harsh and suddenly, the girl was yanked up by her arm roughly as she gave a shriek.

A pair of blood-red eyes greeted her pale blue ones, and an insane grin lit this man's features.

"Have you missed me, princess?" he taunted. The girl was shivering violently now, sobbing, trying desperately to fight out of his iron grip, but the man only brought her closer, twisting her wrist painfully until she gave a scream of pain, reduced to sobbing pitifully.

"What a shame, and here I was, thinking I would get a better response from you... A pity, really, it might have saved your life."

"P-Please! Spare me! Please don't do this!" the girl pleaded.

The man leered at her, then he chuckled. "Zelda, what kind of man would I be if I let you run off with your remaining piece of the Light Force? Something that rightfully belongs to me?"

"My daddy will give you riches! Anything that you want!"

He suddenly yanked her close, his fingers knotting themselves into her long blond hair painfully, and she gave a short scream, clawing at his hand desperately, sobbing.

"I want nothing else... Your life is something that can easily be sacrificed. It holds no importance to me. You have what I seek, and it is mine, that is all that I desire."

The girl continued to sob in both fear and pain, still clutching his hand. The man's lips turned upwards into a sneer, and this truly terrified her. "Soon, this seal will break, and when it does, I will come for you, princess. And there is nothing that can be done."

She fought in his grip, crying. The man's teasing demeanor vanished, his expression turning hard.

He opened his mouth to shout a curse, and a silent scream escaped the girl's lips as a light engulfed her, and she suddenly sprung awake, panting, a cold sweat clinging to her skin.

After several minutes of remembering where she was and registering that it was just the same nightmare that had been plaguing her for years, the girl was reduced to sobbing, desperately hoping against all odds that her dreams were just that, dreams, and nothing more sinister.


	2. Chapter 1: Omens

A powerful wind threw itself against the windows of her bedroom, the sky mirroring her emotions of desolation and despair.

The girl was staring at the wall with tired eyes when she heard a knock sound on the doors of her room.

"Miss Zelda? Are you up yet?"

Zelda did not reply, her eyes fixated on the wall before her as she replayed the dream in her mind. The maid knocked on the door again, "Princess, your father expects you up."

Zelda simply pulled the sheets over her head and avoided answering the maid. It was until the sheets were pulled off of her did she finally get up and notice the maid had walked in without invitation. The maid gasped upon viewing the dark circles under the princess' eyes, and Zelda looked away.

"You had that dream again, didn't you, Your Highness..." The maid mumbled empathetically.

Zelda nodded, continuing to look away, instead focusing her attention on the window, surveying the horrible weather outside.

"Your father has requested that a shaman look over you, perhaps he can find a cure that all of the other doctors could not..." Here, the maid looked hopeful, for she wished that the princess' ailment would soon cease to exist.

"Is that what he wishes to see me about?" Zelda asked, still gazing out the window.

The maid nodded, "yes, miss. Shall I get you ready?"

Zelda clambered off of her bed, allowing herself to be lead by the maid, who drew her a bath and helped the princess into it.

As the maid bathed her, her mind continued to relay the dream, feeling increased anxiety each time she replayed the images in her mind. A shudder raced through her, and the maid sighed.

"We have high hopes for this shaman, Your Majesty..." the maid said as she scrubbed Zelda's scalp.

The princess nodded, only half paying attention, and was soon helped out of her bath and dried, the maid then dressing her. "Does father think this will work?"

"He hopes so, Miss, for this is our last resort..."

Zelda's stomach clenched. "W-Will this mean... I can remain this way forever...?" she whispered.

The maid stepped away from Zelda, having finished dressing her, "well, we are hoping not, princess... It really is a terrible thing, and none of us wish to see you suffering."

Zelda nodded slowly at this, hiding her anxiety and the maid curtsied, stepping out of the room. Zelda soon followed after collecting her thoughts, walking down the long hallways, the clicking of her shoes the only thing being heard. Even in the daylight, the corridor was dark, an unearthly silence in it. The wind suddenly rattled the windows violently, and Zelda shivered, quickening her pace, occasionally glancing behind her.

"It's only the wind..." she assured herself, yet, she couldn't help glancing out the window towards the Four Sword Sanctuary, where the man from her dreams was trapped inside the sacred blade, never to wreak havoc again on the kingdom. A breeze suddenly sifted past her, and she drew in a gasp as it extinguished the candles in the corridor. She looked around for an open window nearby, and when she saw there was none, she let out a hair-rising shriek.

"Princess Zelda?!"

Zelda was still shrieking when the guards found her, her eyes squeezed shut, convinced she was going to hear the man's ghostly chuckle again.

"Princess, what happened?! Tell us!" the guards said, looking around frantically to find the source of her hysteria. After they found none, they escorted the screaming princess to the infirmary quickly, where her father was waiting along with an old, spiritual man. Upon the sight, his eyes widened upon his daughter's distressed state, and he hurried to her.

"What's happened?! Zelda?! What is it?! You two! Tell me what's happened to my daughter!" the king demanded, his tone filled with worry.

The guards saluted him before responding, "we do not know, Your Majesty, for we found her in an abandoned corridor just screaming at the top of her lungs!"

The king opened his mouth to press on further, but the old man stepped forward, holding his hands up, stopping the king before he could utter a word.

"Your Majesty, King Daltus, allow me to assess the situation..." he murmured in a thin voice. The king stepped back, and the shaman stepped towards the hysterical princess. "Princess Zelda... Let me assure you, there is no evil presence in this room... I have cleansed it with the tears of Din, Nayru, and Farore so that we may find the source of your troubles without any interruptions from outside sources."

The shaman drew a pouch from his coat, then tipped a purple liquid down her throat. The princess swallowed dryly, and she felt the heat spread from her fingertips all the way to the rest of her body, curing her clammy state. Her hysteria calmed, and she looked at the shaman with tired eyes, who in turn nodded, happy to see that the potion had at least calmed her paranoia.

"Great Fairy's Tears... Very rare, but very useful... Now then, princess... Sit, and we may begin."

As Daltus helped her into her seat, standing over her worriedly, the shaman opened his book, drawing from his coat another pouch, splashing holy water onto the princess' forehead while reading aloud with an ancient tongue.

She felt herself getting drowsy, and she looked at the shaman as he read, finding peace for once in a very long time, the old man's voice soothing to her. Her head began to nod as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

The shaman placed a weathered thumb on her forehead and said in a commanding voice, "evil spirit that dwells within, I command you to leave the recesses of this girl's mind!"

Silence. Nothing but the ticking of the grand clock. Zelda's eyelids felt heavy, she didn't know how much longer this was going to go on.

Suddenly, a flash of purple in her vision.

She jolted awake, her heart pounding, her head whipping back and forth for a sign of the man who haunted her dreams.

The shaman's voice was now muddled, as if she were listening while being underwater. Time seemed to slow, and she suddenly sound it hard to breathe. Her skin felt as if it were on fire, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream, unable to face the agony of it all. The shaman's face was blurred, shifting, alternating between the man of her nightmares and the weathered face of the shaman's until finally, the sorcerer's form solidified, and he was there leering at the princess.

She let out another shriek at the sight of him, but she found she could not move, for her body suddenly weighed a tonne.

The sorcerer got up, sauntering to her and with a purr, he said, "you thought this old fool could keep me away from you?" His voice was taunting, playful, as if this was a game of cat and mouse, where he would play with his food first before killing it.

She tried to move, but she could not, and the sorcerer trapped her in the arm chair, leaning over her.

"A pity that you try so hard to keep me from you, princess, you know how dearly I have missed you."

Zelda tried to move again, and the man caught her chin in his thumb and finger, yanking her face to look at him.

"Did you really think a few measly tears of the three pathetic goddesses could keep me away from you? What a joke. Rest assured, princess... The seal is weakening, and by then..." here, he trailed a slender finger along her jaw line, "I will have you."

She gave another scream as the sorcerer burst into laughter. The scene suddenly shifted abruptly, and she found herself on the floor, staring up at the ceiling as her father and the shaman tried desperately to calm her.

"Zelda! Oh, my daughter!" Daltus cried as he craddled Zelda to him, where she burst into tears.

The shaman shook his head, closing his eyes.

"You Majesty... Forgive me, but the evil that seeks her is far too great... It will not stop until it has her within its clutches... I will do everything in my power to try and stop it before it tries to spill her blood."

Daltus gave a sob, "anything... Just do anything, don't let anything happen to her!"

The shaman nodded, looking down at the hysterical princess, for he could see no way out of this grim situation.


	3. Chapter 2: Ill Fates

Over the course of the next several weeks, Zelda's hallucinations did not get any better. If anything, they became more frequent, and each time, they left her with a new dosage of fear.

The princess was exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes never left, and she found herself skipping meals and staying in bed all day. The weather matched her emotions, for the clouds stirring outside mirrored her own inner turmoil, and the wind beating against the castle walls only served as a reminder of what was sealed away in the Four Sword.

She was living in fear, and she never had a moment's rest from the anxiety she felt from the hallucinations and nightmares. The wind sorcerer's name had become taboo, for any mention of his name would open the floodgates, and the princess would become hysterical and unable to be calmed.

The shaman did everything in his power for the next several weeks, but each time he tried to ward off the evil shrouding her like a veil, he gave a sad shake of his head, then would whisper to the king, "there is nothing I can do."

The kingdom felt unrest at the princess' depression. They felt her sadness, and the gloomy weather did not help. The depression shrouded all of Hyrule like a cloud, and the once bustling streets filled with many different sights, smells and attractions had become abandoned, for many felt the princess' unease and suffered with her.

The king tried many other alternatives: priests, doctors, herbs, prayers, all to no avail. Letters were sent out too, in hopes of finding the hero, her childhood friend Link, who had left several years prior after the defeat of the wind sorcerer for adventure and honing his skills as a master swordsman. They hoped that perhaps the hero would be able to save the princess from her ailment, perhaps find the root of the problem, but alas, he was nowhere to be found.

Everyone was beginning to lose hope, and it soon became a regular thing to hear the king sobbing in his bedchambers over his daughter's demise every night.

One night, when the search for the hero wielded no results yet again, the king threw whatever he could find in his frustration and exploded, "find him! Turn all of Hyrule upside down if you must! Look in neighboring kingdoms! I want him found and brought back, and do not come to see me until he is found, is that understood?!" The guards had then left in fright, for they had never seen the king react so strongly to something before.

More weeks dragged by, and if anything, the hallucinations became more vivid, more real, and the weather steadily got worse each and every day.

The princess spent all of her days in bed as the priests and shaman read over her, each trying new techniques as the king watched over worriedly.

One day, the shaman stopped his chanting over the princess, dropping his tears of the goddesses. Everyone looked up in confusion, and were surprised to see a look of utmost horror upon the old man's face.

"What is it? What's happened?!" the king demanded, giving the shaman a shake.

The old man's breathing was shallow, and he began to shake.

"Y-Your Majesty..."

"What? Out with it, damn you!" the king shouted, a manic glint in his eye.

The shaman pulled him out of the room as Zelda watched them with wide eyes, peeking out from under her blankets. Once they were alone, the shaman turned to face him, his weathered face white with worry.

"The evil... It is closer than it has ever been...!" the shaman whispered hoarsely.

The king's face paled at the news, and he stuttered, "y-you are positive of this...?"

The shaman gave a nod. The king sank to his fat knees, shaking, staring blankly at the opposite wall, feeling numb all over.

"Why my daughter..." the king sobbed, "why her..."

The shaman knelt down, placing a bony hand on the king's meaty shoulder. "The hero must be found... the evil gets stronger every day, and soon... I fear that it will overtake her completely."

The king gave a wail of despair, and the shaman had to look away from the heart-wrenching sight.

"My Zelda... My beautiful daughter!" the king wailed.

The shaman looked the king again and said, "You Majesty... We are at impasse. The evil presence will stop at nothing to get her... She places the kingdom in danger, she places everyone in danger..." He knelt down to face the king, "my condolences. There is nothing that can be done. Any day now, the evil will overtake her, and unless we find the hero and fast..." The shaman looked away, unable to finish his sentence as the king only wept harder.

Zelda's heart was racing, and she remained quiet, for she had heard every word of their grim conversation. Tears filled her eyes, and a despair rushed throughout her. She had no strength to weep over her fate, for the endless days of crying had tired her out. As the king and shaman collected themselves and walked back in, Zelda feigned sleep. She could hear her father weeping yet again beside her, and her heart clenched.

The hours passed, the other priests having left her, only the shaman remained, still reading over the princess as she continued to feign sleep. The king had fallen asleep next to her, upright in his chair, his face sunken with worry over his daughter.

A clash of thunder rang through the sky, and Zelda flinched, shivering in fright. The rain beat against the windows more earnestly now, the wind howling against the walls of the castle. The shaman continued to read, his voice tapering on and off in his exhaustion. Zelda opened her eyes, looking around, and the shaman did not acknowledge her waking from her fake slumber, rather continued to spray the tears of the goddesses over her body. Exhaustion crept from the back of her mind to the front of it, but she jostled herself awake, too scared to fall asleep again and chance another nightmare of the sorcerer.

Thunder clashed again, and the wind picked up in frequency. Despite the frigid weather, her room was cozy, warm, and her bed was suddenly inviting to the exhausted princess.

Days of no sleep were seeming to catch up with her, and she tried desperately to keep her eyes open, ultimately failing, falling into a deep sleep.

The thunder rolled and grumbled outside, and the shaman sat down next to the king, weathered out from his continued services to the royal family. He rubbed his tired eyes, and the wind outside suddenly slammed itself against the window and he jumped, looking to the window, shaking in fright.

"Farore keep the evil out..." he prayed.

The candles in the room suddenly flickered before going out, and he gasped, looking around for an open window, seeing none. "Who's there?!" he called out.

A clash of lightning illuminated the dark room, and the shaman felt a sudden sense of unease. "Show yourself!"

His heart was racing, the adrenaline pumping through his body. He looked to the slumbering princess, walking to her, shaking, extending a shaking hand to her.

The lightning clashed again, illuminating a figure perched on her bed, draped over the princess' body. The figure glanced over to the priest from the bed, a blood-red eye glaring at him, before his expression turned into a leer, and with astounding grace, he lifted himself soundlessly, weightlessly from the princess' side, walking to the old man.

The shaman opened his mouth to let out a shriek, but suddenly, found a strange tightness in his chest and he collapsed at the figure's feet, struggling for air.

The man kicked over the shaman, placing a foot on the old man's chest.

"You were a thorn in my side this whole time, you wretched old man. Do you have any idea how hard it was to break free of that sword with you reading over the girl every night? No... I would suppose not... However, I simply must commend you for your efforts to keep me away from the princess. It proved to be a challenge, albeit, not a very hard one, but a challenge nonetheless."

The shaman opened his mouth for a soundless scream, and the man's face lit up in a sick, twisted pleasure. He pressed his foot more down upon the shaman's chest, continuing on, "It was only a matter of time before that seal weakened upon me. before I was free again. I can't have you ruining this pivotal moment for me, now can I? Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you."

The shaman shook his head frantically, still gasping for air, the pain in his chest getting worse. The man grinned. "It was quite admirable how you tried to keep her out of my clutches, I must say. Almost amusing, even. If it weren't so highly annoying, I might have actually spared you."

The shaman gaped, opening his mouth and closing it soundlessly. A flash of lightning illuminated the room again, and the shaman saw the sorcerer in all of his menace before it faded away again.

"And now..." A flash of light illuminated the sorcerer's palms, and the shaman gasped, feeling a hot stab of pain in the center of his chest.

The sorcerer lifted his foot from the shaman's chest, chuckling to himself. "Since I'm generous, you have two minutes left to live. And you can watch me run off with Her Majesty while you lay here dying like the animal that you are."

The shaman tried to make a sound, only managing a pitiful gurgle, trying to stop the sorcerer from walking to the princess' bedside and lifting her up into his arms.

A flash of lightning lit up the room again, and the sorcerer turned to the shaman, grinning, the princess in his arms. The shaman let out another cry, finally able to shout, "YOUR MAJESTY!"

The king jerked awake, and the sorcerer's grin widened, the candles flickering back to life, wanting to torment the king before he left. He turned to the king, his visible red eye boring into his own blue ones. "Have you missed me, you fat oaf?" the man drawled.

The king's face paled, and Zelda stirred in the man's arms, opening her eyes and seeing him, letting out a piercing shriek.

"And it has come to my attention, that you all refuse to utter my name, is that it?" the sorcerer continued to taunt the stricken king, "How rude. Well, before I depart, let me make this clear. You will all remember this night, when Vaati, the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, stole the princess from right under your noses."

The man Vaati let out a cruel cackle, and Zelda screamed, "DADDY!" reaching for her father before her father lunged and both the princess and Vaati disappeared in a ripple of dark matter before he could reach them.


	4. Chapter 3: Captive

She couldn't breathe, and all she could feel was a numbness in her body as Vaati warped them from her room.

She let in a gasp of air as soon as they had reached their destination, and the first thing she registered was a long corridor filled with elaborate furniture and large paintings which scattered the walls. Then she looked up at her captor and let out a scream, trying to scramble out of his arms, weeping.

The sorcerer grinned at her, dropping her and she fell to the floor painfully. Immediately she got up and sprinted down the corridor, trying to get away from him only to be knocked backwards as he warped right in front of her, barring her escape. She stumbled back, and Vaati smirked at her, walking towards her. She wasted no time in turning and sprinting down the hall again, only to let out a scream as his hand shot forward and yanked her back by her long hair.

"P-Please!" she begged, sobbing and writhing in his grasp, her hands on his in her hair.

He pulled her to his chest, pressing her to his body, chuckling. "It's been far too long since I've seen you, princess, and this is the response I get? Who knew so many years had passed, for I don't remember you being a woman." His tone was teasing, as if he enjoyed playing games with her mind.

Zelda did not reply, weeping in his arms, still trying to pull from his grip.

"Hmm, no. You're not that annoying little girl you once were. And to be quite frank, princess, although you are still terribly annoying, you are now a terribly annoying young woman."

"What do you want?! Don't kill me, please!" the princess begged.

Vaati grinned, leaning his face closer to hers and she tensed, feeling his breath tickle her ear as he whispered into it, "not yet... You see, princess... I have been cooped up in that sword for far too long, and to be quite honest, I didn't expect you to have grown this much... No. And furthermore, let me just say... being in that sword, I have missed the touch of a woman's body." Here, he slid his hand down her side and she shivered in disgust, her eyes wide, too scared to make any sudden movements.

He pulled her closer to him, his arm around her waist securely, the other on her hip. "No. Killing you can wait, for you are my prisoner now, and I intend on relieving my sexual frustrations through you first before I decide to murder you."

Here, the princess burst into tears and Vaati shoved her away roughly.

"I don't want your tears on me and soiling my clothes! These are the finest silks in all of Hyrule, and you'll dirty them!"

This did not ease Zelda's tears, as she continued to cry. "I want Link!" she cried, hiding her face in her hands as she continued to weep.

A dark look passed over Vaati's face and he raised his hand as if to backhand her and she flinched.

"You will not utter that worm's name under my roof, is that clear?" he hissed.

Zelda shook her head, her crying increasing, and Vaati yanked her up, a grin on his face. "Unhappy? What a shame. You think that crying as you are will stop me from doing what I please with you, do you?"

Zelda continued to sob pitifully, unable to stop, not answering him.

Vaati trailed a fingertip along the dark circles under her eyes, grinning widely. "I've caused this, haven't I?" When she did not respond still, he took it as a confirmation and went on, "perhaps you're curious as to how I got out, hmm?"

Zelda stared at him, tears leaking out of her eyes, shaking horribly in her fright as Vaati kept his iron grip on her arm.

"It was quite simple, really. You see, princess, that seal got weaker over time, and soon, I was able to extract some of my magic out, let it leak from that accursed blade onto the plains of Hyrule. Surely you have noticed the despair the kingdom has felt as of late?" his tone was teasing, and there was a hint of pride within it. Her eyes widened, and his smirk did as well, "I found I was able to do small bits of magic and infect the dreams of the people. I could have used anyone to escape, really, but most of those peasants had forgotten the dream the next day, much to my frustration, so then I latched onto you..."

Her heart rate accelerated, and he clasped her chin in his thumb and finger painfully and she gave a yelp, tears falling out of her eyes again.

"The Light Force was still within you, and I had left my mark on you all those years ago. Your fractured Light Force attracted me to you, and my magic resonated within you more powerfully. You would not forget the dreams that I infected you with so easily. You insisted on dwelling on them every night for several years, and in turn, that made my presence loom over you that much more. You were like my host, and I found myself leaving the seal slowly the more my being attached to yours."

Zelda felt her heart sink and Vaati grinned again.

"Y-You monster..." she whispered.

"I do pride myself in my magical prowess, if it means sacrificing the well being of you, then so be it." He let go of her, shoving her roughly from him. "Now then, there are several rules that you must abide to should you wish to live in my palace."

"I don't want to live in your palace! I want to go home!" Zelda wailed.

"First of all," he went on, ignoring her as if she did not speak, "you will not disobey any order I give you."

"I-"

"Second of all," he raised his voice to overpower hers, his grip on her arm getting tighter, "you will cook and clean, you are now my personal pet, and anything that I want, you will do."

Her lip quivered and she burst into tears again, "P-Please!" she pleaded.

"And lastly..." he concluded, a leer lighting his face. She felt a sense foreboding at the expression on his face, tensing, "whatever sexual favors I want from you, you will grant to me."

Her face went white, and she felt herself go numb. "N-No."

"Disobeying me already, are you? You don't want to be doing that." *He yanked by her hair and she gave a scream, reduced to sobs again, "otherwise, I will punish you like how any master punishes his slave."

"I-I'm not y-your slave!" she wept.

"You are my slave. You live under my roof, and you obey my orders in order to survive."

Zelda felt her spirits breaking, and she wept desperately.

"Now then... go wash your face, I'm tired of looking at it while it's covered in snot." He let her go, shoving her away from him. "And should you try to escape, I will make you sleep in the dungeons tonight. Not that there is any way down from my palace, however, I punish disobedience. You will find all that you need in the room to your right."

Zelda whimpered, watching him turn with a swish of his cape, carrying himself with an air of self importance as he walked down the hall, a few fluttering bat-like creatures following him. She looked to the room on her right, slowly opening it, giving a gasp as she was met with a larger than life bedroom with a ceiling high up with intricate designs on it, the bed's canopy reaching towards it, the large bed situated in the middle of the room with satin sheets, netting flowing from the canopy around it. A bath could be heard running from the bathroom inside the room, and curiously, she crept towards it, pushing the door open and seeing the large sunken pool, sweet aromas filling the air. She felt her skin warm up as she anticipated the hot water. She locked the door behind her, stepping to the bath, looking over and seeing clothes laid out for her.

She made a face as she saw a pair of panties laying on the fluffy towels along with a revealing dress accompanying it. She shivered, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing what she was wearing under the skimpy dress, however, her current nightgown wasn't a better choice.

Looking behind her to ensure he was not there peeping on her, she stripped quickly, jumping into the pool and giving a sigh as the warm water caressed her body.

She began to bathe, spending a long time in the pool, seeming at ease and forgetting where she even was as the warm water seemed to melt away her anxieties. After she finished, she wrapped a towel around herself, drying her hair and body. She looked to the underwear again, frowning, but having nothing else to wear, she grudgingly put it on, followed by the dress.

She creaked open the door, looking in to the bedroom, and seeing he was not there, crept out of the room and down the hallway where he had walked off to, looking around in curiosity at the large paintings of himself that hung on the walls. She frowned, making the observation that he had a very large ego indeed.

She made it into a large dining room, an elaborate table set with candles and a feast that made her mouth water and her stomach grumble, the enticing smells assaulting her nose.

Vaati stood up, smirking. "Hungry, are you?"

Zelda nodded, walking to him, still in a daze from the bath, and feeling confused, wondering if perhaps being in this palace with him wasn't so bad after all.

"Well, it's a shame that you won't be able to eat without doing something for me first."

Zelda felt her heart sink, and she knew it was too good to last. She took a step back from him, feeling his eyes crawling all over her. She felt her face grow hot, for she knew that he knew exactly what she was wearing underneath.

"You will beg for my mercy, you will beg for me to allow you to eat from this table."

Zelda gulped, still looking down, then whispered a "no..."

His voice came like a whip, "what was that?"

She flinched, and in a stronger voice, she repeated her answer.

He yanked her face up by the chin to look at him and she gave a cry, tears filling her eyes.

"Have we forgotten my rules already, girl?"

She shook her head quickly, "I will not beg to you!"

"Very well, then... Defy me..." his voice was smooth, a purr, but underneath the cool exterior, she could feel the threat and tears filled her eyes.

"Please..."

"You will beg for food or you will go tonight and tomorrow morning without any."

She shivered, weeping harder, "V-Vaati, have mercy..."

At this, Vaati gave a cruel laugh, letting go of her chin. "Have mercy?! First of all, you don't deserve my mercy, princess, for it's partly your fault I suffered in that wretched seal in the first place!"

"Y-You were trying to kill me!"

"All within good reason."

"There is never a good reason to take away somebody's life!"

"How amusing. Then I wonder, why it was quite alright to allow my life to be ruined by that seal, I would have been better to be dead, do you still stand by what you said, princess? Do you hold enough compassion towards me to believe that not even I deserve death? Would you let me walk away with my life, then?" he gave a grin, knowing her answer, and she shrunk away in response. "I knew it. Therefore, you are to blame for throwing away my own life, you felt you perfectly justified, as I thought I was perfectly justified in attempting to take yours."

She gulped, her stomach grumbling loudly and her ears turned red in embarrassment.

Hearing this, Vaati grinned more at her, then quipped, "beg."

Zelda shook her head rapidly and Vaati sauntered to her, causing her to take a step back for each he took towards her.

"You know, princess, your stubbornness will not get you anywhere in my home. It is either your conform to my rules, or you die. Either way, I do not mind, but if you do die, well, then I am short a lowly servant."

Zelda gave a shiver, "I-I will not be reduced to begging for something as necessary as food."

"Very well, then. You may watch me eat." Vaati turned, heading back to his seat, lowering himself into it and giving her a wide smirk as he began to eat from his plate, his eyes never leaving hers.

Her stomach grumbled again, and this only heightened Vaati's pleasure in watching her squirm with hunger. He ate slowly, chewing even slower, savoring the thought of denying her food when she needed it.

"Please..." Zelda whimpered.

"Beg and I will feed you."

Her stomach grumbled yet again painfully, and she wondered if it was really necessary to rid herself of her pride.

"You have no pride left. You are my prisoner, and you must resort to low measures in order to thrive in my home." Vaati said as if he could read her mind.

She looked back into his dark red eyes, and they were challenging her, taunting her, as if he knew she would cave in eventually.

"F-Fine... Please give me something to eat."

"You call that begging, girl? No, I want you on your knees." He pointed at the floor before him, "beg, grovel on your knees for my mercy."

She shook her head yet again and he got up, walking to her.

"Your stubbornness is beginning to irk me, you petulant girl." He grasped her chin again, but this time, not roughly, smirking at her, his lips inches from hers. She tried to get out of his grip, finding this terribly improper, but he snaked his arm around her waist, trapping her there. "I like a challenge. You may be horribly annoying, but I always get what I want, and right now what I want is for you to be a submissive slave and obey my every command." He rubbed the pad of his thumb lightly along her bottom lip and she tried desperately to get free.

"Let go of me!" she cried.

"I think not." he scoffed, "you see, princess. I expect you to follow my orders, and after we are done dinner, we will retire to bed and you will allow me to touch you in any way that I please."

With that, he suddenly claimed her lips with his, and she gave a yelp, her face going a deep shade of red. His kiss was demanding yet soft, and Zelda shoved against him desperately, trying to pull her face away, but Vaati kept her in his iron grip, trailing his tongue along her lower lip.

Finally, he pulled back, and smirking, he licked his lips slowly, watching her. Zelda's eyes were wide and he chuckled, letting her go to fully gauge her reaction.

Zelda touched her lips with shaking fingers, and looked up at him, silent.

She then pulled her hand back and delivered a stinging slap to his cheek.


	5. Chapter 4: Lust

"No, please don't do this! I'm sorry! Please!" Zelda pleaded as Vaati dragged her down to the lower floors of the dungeons. She dug her heels into the floor, desperately trying to stop the sorcerer from taking her to the dungeons, but that did little, for Vaati simply lifted her up with ease and slung her over his shoulder.

"No!" she screamed, and childishly, she began to kick her legs and beat her fists on his back, but for all the damage she was doing, she might as well have been simply tapping him on the shoulder, for he gave no indication of pain as he continued to carry her down to the dungeons.

As he reached the bottom floors, he flung open the rusty door to a cellar and tossed her in. She gave a scream, then a pained groan as she landed roughly on the cobble stone ground, rubbing her rear. She looked up as Vaati slammed the door, locking it, and her eyes widened. She jumped to her feet, holding the bars, pulling against them desperately.

"N-No! Wait! Please, I'm sorry!"

"For what, disrespecting me, or this?" he pointed to the red mark on his face from Zelda's slap and deep down, Zelda did not feel guilt, rather she felt smug for causing him some sort of pain.

Vaati glared at her then gave her an evil smirk, which in turn caused her to shrink back.

"I hope you enjoy the rats and the keese, princess, for they do enjoy fresh meat."

Her face paled at this, and with numb lips, she whispered, "Please, Vaati... I'm sorry..."

"Sorry alone does not cut it. How dare you show such insolence, you impudent girl. Do you not see that you are at my mercy now? That in a second I could kill you? No, you don't. Instead, you would rather infuriate me and threaten your own life, is that it?"

Zelda shook her head rapidly, quivering in her fear. Vaati took a step back from the door and made to leave.

"Wait! Please!" she cried.

He turned and gave her a cruel grin. "Enjoy your night here, princess." he sang before walking up the stone steps and slamming the dungeon door behind him.

"NO!" she wailed, pulling at the bars, a sob escaping her throat. She began to cry in earnest, hopelessly beating her fists on the metal bars, as if hoping they would give way and let her out.

A rat suddenly scurried across her feet and Zelda let out a shrill shriek, crying harder, running to the bench in the cell and bringing her knees up, shaking and sobbing into them.

The keese opened their blood-red eyes, peering down at her from the ceiling, disturbed by her crying before they tucked their heads under the wings and proceeded to ignore the princess again.

All throughout the night, the princess was huddled in the corner of the cell, hugging herself to keep warm, crying into her knees.

She was not aware she fell asleep until a rough shove on her shoulder jolted her awake, a voice hissing at her to get up.

She gave a startled snort, sitting up, only to be greeted by a visible crimson eye glaring down at her, a face shrouded in lilac colored hair. She shrunk back immediately, quivering in her fright.

"Get up." Vaati snapped, "I refuse to repeat myself again."

Shaking, Zelda got up, looking down at her feet.

"Now then, your punishment will be lifted at noon today. That is when I may deem you worthy enough to eat once you have redeemed yourself to me."

Zelda glanced up, then quickly looked down again, feeling light headed from her lack of food.

"Furthermore, you are to scrub my palace floors, and clean my possessions."

"I don't know how to clean."

"Well it's a shame that today is your first day of learning, then."

Zelda bit back an insult, giving a feeble nod. Vaati tipped her face up to meet his, smirking. She quickly shrunk back.

"You may find me to be a good host, princess, it all depends on your attitude. Perhaps if you behave, I will have no reason to kill you later on."

She gave a small sob at this, looking away, quivering in her fright.

"Now come." With that, he turned, walking out of the cell and Zelda miserably followed him, her eyes on his heels, never bringing her gaze up.

Vaati lead her to the larger than life kitchen, the sunlight streaming through the tall windows, as if mocking her pain.

She looked at a bowl of fruit longingly, her stomach grumbling. Vaati took his seat, facing her, a smirk on his lips and he nodded to a mop and sponge in the closet. "Well? Go on, get started," he said.

With a quivering lip, Zelda went to the closet, lugging out the pail of water, dousing the mop and wringing it then dragging it along the floor inexpertly.

"No, no." he interrupted. She looked up, confused and he smirked at her, "I want you on your knees while you clean. Use that sponge."

Zelda resisted shooting him a filthy glare, and wordlessly, she got up, wringing the sponge and falling to her knees, the hatred for him practically coming off of her in waves as she scrubbed the shiny tiles with the soapy water.

"Hmm... Something isn't quite right..." Vaati mused after about twenty minutes of Zelda's rigorous scrubbing. Her knees and hands ached and she looked up, wondering what he could possibly do to make her more miserable. He grinned at her evilly then said, "you should be naked and cleaning my floors. Yes, I would much rather like to see you cleaning my floors without anything on."

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she looked back down, thinking horrible things towards him, too scared to actually say anything out loud.

He continued, "and after you were done cleaning my floors like the little cleaning slut that you are, you would allow me to caress your body and do whatever I pleased with it-"

"STOP!" Zelda finally exploded, her ears red from the highly inappropriate conversation.

Vaati merely grinned at her. "What a shame, you've got me all excited, princess. Who knew that telling you my fantasies would have me feeling like this towards you?" he purred, loving to tease her.

If anything, Zelda's face only went a very dark red, and silently, she continued to scrub his floors while Vaati watched her. She could feel his eyes crawling all over her, and she tried her best not to shudder.

Finally, she stood up, the floors sparkling clean and Vaati gave her a sarcastic, slow clap.

"It seems the pampered princess CAN clean," he teased.

She bit her tongue, drawing blood, holding back an insult and merely looked away. It was better to take his insults rather than insult him and deal with his brutality.

"Since I'm merciful, you may be allowed to eat. However, you are to ask politely and refer to me as 'Master Vaati', are we clear, princess?"

She gave him a withering glare, then relaxed her face, then mumbled, "may I please eat something, Master Vaati?"

He grinned at her misery before answering, "you may, my pet."

Grudgingly, she stalked to the pantry, picking up whatever she could find, then hurried to the table, hastily cramming whatever she could into her mouth, the hunger overtaking her.

Vaati sat opposite of her, giving her a look of disgust as she shoved food into her mouth. "You are the princess, don't you have manners?" he quipped.

Zelda's cheeks turned pink and she swallowed her mouthful, her hunger satiated now, however she continued to eat, this time slowly and daintily.

Vaati pushed his chair back walking to her slowly, trailing a slender finger along the table as he did. Zelda immediately felt unease, sidling away from him on her chair, but he simply caught her by her wrist and pulled her back into it, wrapping his arms around her from behind and whispering into her ear, "have I shown your my mercy, then? You see, when you behave, this palace can be your dream home. Disrespect me, then you taste my wrath..." here, he slid a hand down her side and she shuddered, dropping her fork, frozen in fear.

He continued, his voice as smooth as honey, "I believe my hospitality deserves a reward, don't you?"

She whimpered, feeling his lips caressing her neck, the edge of his nose inhaling her scent as he trailed his long fingers in her long blond hair.

Her face was pink in embarrassment, her eyes wide with her fear, and she remained rooted in her chair, unable to move, which caused Vaati to continue his sweet assault. She felt something stir in the pit of her belly, for she had never been intimate with a man in this way before.

She tried to push out of his grip but he simply pulled her back, giving a throaty chuckle, "eager, are we?" he murmured into her ear.

Zelda's mind became clouded with lust and morale, and she gave a squeak of fear, for these thoughts were terribly improper, even more so when they concerned the man who treated her as nothing more than an object. A tool that was meant to be thrown away.

Vaati then turned her face to his, his dark red eyes on her blue ones and kissed her passionately but roughly, trailing a hand up to her breast. She gave another squeak, pushing his hand off, but that did not stop him, as he kissed her more roughly now, suddenly restraining her and she gave a muffled scream against his lips.

"S-Stop!" she cried as she wrestled with him.

"You are my pet, princess. Have you forgotten rule number three? Whatever sexual favors I want, you are to grant?" he grunted, his voice thick with lust for her.

"No! No! No!" She shoved against him weakly, and suddenly, Vaati scooped her up, and she gave a scream as he warped them to his bedroom.


End file.
